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How Do You Save Money and Still Eat Healthy? Here’s What I Do

Hi Guys! Everyone’s been talking about how expensive it can get to be healthy. (Check out what Body by Glamour motivation coach, Jillian Michaels, has to say about it here.) We’ve already talked about cheap ways to stay fit, but what about food? Since I started shaping up, (hello six pounds!) I spend significantly more on edibles every week, and I need to cut back a little. Obviously, I don’t want to skimp on the stuff that’s good for me, but I need to come up with a strategy to keep some cash in my pocket. I think the biggest spending factor for me is not my grocery bill--but my lifestyle. I’m always on the go, so I often eat out. This is no good for my wallet or my waistline, so I’m trying to change that. Here are a few tactics I’ve been trying to employ:

Go food shopping:

I didn’t have time this weekend to go to Trader Joe’s, where I normally stock up on stuff, but I knew if I didn’t get some essentials, I would be starting the week off on the wrong foot. So I went to my local grocery store and bought a few items. If I don’t go shopping, it’s easy to justify eating out more often. And that’s a surefire way to spend money!

Prep for the week:

On Sunday, I made a HUGE chopped salad--I normally throw every kind of vegetable I can find in there--and it lasts me for at least three days. That means that when I come home from work, all I need to think about is what I’m going to have, protein-wise. The ingredients probably cost me all of $5, and I can have salad for three days. In New York, a decent salad will set me back at least $8, and that’s for a really bare salad

I made a batch of whole-wheat muffins with apple sauce (instead of eggs and oil) for an afternoon snack.

I also made some brownies out of a No Pudge Fudge mix: For a nighttime treat, I have a square with 2 tbsp of fro-yo. It’s a low-cal, low fat treat that really satisfies my sweet tooth lately!

Be prepared for the unexpected:

OK, so this might not be entirely good for my wallet, but there WILL be days when I have to order in or just grab and go. The genius Body by Glamour nutritionist, Rachel Beller, R.D., suggested that I pick three places near my job that I frequent, and take a look through their menus to highlight (literally) what the healthy options are--that way, I remove the guess work from ordering--and I'm not tempted to eat something unhealthy. I also have to do this for food joints where I live. And while this might not be the cheapest option, I’ll always know how much it’ll cost me, so I can factor that into my budget beforehand!

Don't ignore food boredom:

We’re on week 6 of the Body by Glamour plan, and I have to admit that I get a little bored with the food at times. So I’m trying to be creative. For instance, one of my go-to breakfasts is a Trader Joe’s high fiber bran cake (80 cal, 13 g of fiber) with 5 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt and a tsp. of pumpkin butter. I’m kinda tired of this breakfast, only I didn’t realize this until AFTER I bought two new 6 packs of the fiber cakes. And now they’re just sitting in my fridge. NOT very cost effective at all...I hope they don’t go bad!

Here are some other new items I’ve either switched to or simply just added to my list lately. I'm hoping that if I include some variety in my grocery list, I will stave off food boredom and hopefully not waste money on food I’m not going to eat.:

1. Oatmeal. I mix it with wheat bran, cinnamon, and half a banana for a quick breakfast instead of my fiber cake. So good! 2. Agave Syrup--I haven't used any sugar substitutes in over a month. And a teaspoon of this stuff works wonders in my oatmeal! 3. Julie’s Organic Ice Cream Sandwiches instead of Skinny Cow’s ice cream sandwiches. Same concept, but one is square and the other is round. I don’t know why, but the variation works for me 4. Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk--for those times when I get a craving for a cold, iced beverage. It’s only 40 calories for 8 oz., and it tastes GREAT! 5. Warm unsweetened vanilla almond milk. If I’m having a late night, I like mixing it with a teaspoon of Agave and a dash of cinnamon. It hits the spot! 6. No sugar-added apple butter instead of pumpkin butter 7. Green onions (I throw them in everything!) 8. TJ’s sprouted bean mix—I saut�e them with a little canola oil cooking spray, reduced-sodium soy sauce, and fresh ginger for some extra crunch in my salad. 9. TJ’s salmon patties. They take 8 minutes to cook--a welcome break from chicken! 10. Okra--I bought it at a little produce stand in my neighborhood for next to nothing. I’ve never cooked it before though--any ideas??

So, I know it’s only a start, but what do you think of my healthy-eating, money-saving strategies? Tell me some of your own. Are you struggling with boredom in your diet too? And what do you think of the new additions to my grocery list? And is there anything you’re eating lately that is exciting, but still within the healthy limits of the Body by Glamour plan? Let me know!

PS: Little Miss Fortune has some ideas on how you can save on food as well. And Sarah over at Vitamin G talks about what you can do if you can’t afford to buy everything organic.